Terrorist's fiancée released after no evidence found linking her to attack

Raghad Khaddour, 18, from Bani Na'im, claimed she did not know her fiancé Fares Khaddour was planning a terror attack; 'Soldiers suddenly started shooting at us, and I didn't know what happened or why they were shooting,' she claims.

Raghad Khaddour, 18 from Bani Na'im, was in the car when her fiancé Fares Khaddour, also 18 from Bani Na'im, tried to ram his vehicle into Israelis standing at the bus station at the Elias Junction. Fares was shot to death by IDF soldiers securing the station. Three Israeli teenagers were treated for shock.

Raghad was seriously wounded in the incident and taken to the hospital in Israel for treatment. Upon her release on Saturday, she was taken to a hospital in Ramallah.

Raghad Khaddour at the hospital with Palestinian Minister of Education Dr. Sabri Saidam

"I was (in the car) with my fiancé and soldiers suddenly started shooting at us, and I didn't know what happened or why they were shooting," Raghad said from her hospital bed in Ramallah.

Raghad's sister, Majd Khaddour, committed a similar attack
at the same junction in June, during Ramadan, and was shot dead by Israeli forces. Raghad praised her sister's actions in Facebook post two days after that attack.

Fares and Raghad had known each other from childhood and became lovers. They were planning on getting married, but did not receive the blessing of their families, who thought the two were too young to wed.

Rumors spread in Bani Na'im that Raghad was pregnant, and the two decided to commit suicide when they realized they could not be together. They wrote a joint will
and signed it together.

The vehicle used for the attack at the Elias Junction (Photo: Kiryat Arba Council)

After every terror attack or security incident, the attackers left alive are taken for interrogation by the Shin Bet or the police—depending on their involvement in the attack.

According to investigation officials, Raghad claimed she did not know of her fiancé's plans to commit an attack and said he suddenly started speeding towards the bus stop at the junction.

The officials said that there was no evidence linking Raghad to the attack or indicating she was planning to attack Jews, which is why she was released.